Two dead in apparent murder-suicide in McKenna, deputies say

MCKENNA, Wash. -- The Pierce County Sheriff's Department says two men have died in an apparent homicide-suicide at a chiropractic office in the town of McKenna.

Sheriff's spokesman Ed Troyer says a man walked into the McKenna Chiropractic Center Wednesday morning, shot a doctor and then shot himself.

Troyer says it's unknown yet what led up to the shooting. Several people were inside the office at the time of the shooting but no one else was hurt.

“A man walked in, shot a doctor and then shot himself,” said sheriff’s spokesman Ed Troyer. “At this point, we don’t have any clues what led up to it.”

Witnesses called for help around 8:30 a.m. to report multiple shots fired in the 9100 block of 346th St S.

The Pierce County Medical Examiner on Thursday identified the shooter as 35-year-old Robert John Knapp and the victim as 46-year-old Robert Winslow Sowers, Jr.

Troyer said a massage therapist was inside the office at the time, but she was uninjured.

McKenna is about 30 miles south of Tacoma.